Martin Tombari gives perhaps the best definition of "portfolio" in the sense int ended here: "A portfolio

is a planned collection of learner achievement that doc uments what a student has accomplished and the steps taken to get there." (1) Ma ny items can be placed in a student's portfolio; no strict rules govern its cont ent. However, each item or piece of evidence should support the objectives of th e portfolio, show student growth and learning over time and be assessed by both the student and the instructor. (2) Evidence may include images, academic papers , journal entries, reflective papers or even video projects. The portfolio may b e a physical file that students add to over time. It may be a collection of mate rials completed for various courses. Some students may use their portfolios to s howcase their skills at a job interview; others may never give them another thou ght after graduation. The strength of portfolios is that they show things that are difficult to assess by other means. For example, a unit exam shows what knowledge the student has g ained at 1 moment in time. On a specific day the student was able to recite spec ific facts and recall specific information. Exams often show the end result of w hat a student has learned but tell very little about what was necessary to achie ve that result. Measuring the end result is easier than assessing the route take n to get there. (3) Exams and other assignments certainly have their place in ed ucational assessment, but when they are supplemented with a student portfolio, i nstructors see a more complete picture of the educational process.